The present invention relates to retainers in general and more particularly to a retainer bushing disposed between a male member such as a shaft, rod or pin passed through a bore in a plate, for example, and holding the shaft, rod or pin and the plate in pivotal assembly.
There are many mechanical assemblies wherein a pin, rod or stubshaft is, pivotably or fixedly, attached to a plate, to an arm member, or to a pushrod end by being passed through a bore through the plate, arm member, or pushrod end, and being retained therein by a cotter pin installed in a transverse bore drilled through the end of the pin, rod or stubshaft, or by means of a spring clip engaged in a groove or other retainer member. An example of such mechanical assemblies is the pivotable coupling between a motor vehicle clutch pedal and the input member or pushrod of a hydraulic master cylinder forming part of a clutch hydraulic control apparatus.
The present invention presents the advantage over the prior art that it permits to assemble a male member such as a shaft, rod or pin to a plate, an arm member, or a pushrod end, for example, by simply pushing the end of the shaft, rod or pin into the bore of a retainer bushing according to the invention pre-installed in the bore of a plate, arm member or pushrod end, without requiring the use of special tools or any additional fasteners.